Man sought in store robberies

The same man is believed responsible for at least three recent robberies of stores on the Northwest Side in which the man purchases a can of soda and then steals money from the register, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.

In the most recent incident on Nov. 2, officers who responded to a report of a crashed vehicle in the 5100 block of North Laramie Avenue found a car that had been reported stolen between Oct. 21 and Oct. 22 from the 4400 block of North Keeler Avenue, according to police. Officers saw a man running away from the white Oldsmobile Cutlass, and moments later police received a call reporting that the Montrose Deli, 5441 W. Montrose Ave., had been robbed at about 7:10 p.m., police said.

Employees of the deli reported that a man purchased a can of soda and took $1,000 from the register when it was opened, police said.

In another incident, employees reported that a man stole money from the Produce Center, 5820 N. Milwaukee Ave., at about 5:20 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, according to police. The employees reported that a man bought a soda, took an undisclosed amount of money from the register, and fled in a white vehicle, police said.

An employee reported that the Pulaski Polish Deli, 7141 W. Addison St., was robbed at about 6:15 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, according to police. The employee reported that a man who has been in the store on prior occasions approached her to make a purchase and that when she opened the cash register he took about $1,500 from it, pushed her out of the way and fled in a white vehicle, police said.

The man is described as white, age 45 to 55, 5-6 to 5-10 and 160 to 185 pounds, and wearing a tan or brown construction jacket with a hooded shirt, blue jeans and gym shoes.